Russia Bombs Ukrainian Prison as War Escalates

A Russian airstrike on a prison facility in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region has left at least 16 people dead and over 30 injured, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The attack occurred overnight and is being described by officials as a serious escalation in Moscow’s ongoing military campaign.

Zaporizhzhia’s regional leader, Ivan Fedorov, confirmed that the strike, which employed high-explosive aerial glide bombs, destroyed parts of a prison complex.

The surrounding residential areas were also hit, causing further damage. Fedorov did not specify the exact location of the facility within the region.

The Ukrainian President’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, labeled the incident as “another war crime”,

He underscored Kyiv’s consistent accusations that Russia has been violating international law since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner also condemned the strike, emphasizing that individuals held in detention retain their legal rights and protections under humanitarian law.

Russia has frequently targeted the Zaporizhzhia region, which it claims to have annexed along with three other territories in 2022.

Despite these claims, much of the region remains under Ukrainian control, and repeated assaults have failed to shift the balance significantly.

The airstrike comes as part of a broader wave of attacks across eastern Ukraine. Late Monday, missile and drone strikes struck the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the industrial city of Kamyanske, two people were reported killed and five injured.

Separate strikes in the Synelnykivsky district resulted in the death of another civilian, and in a nearby village, a 75-year-old woman died after her home was hit.

A 68-year-old man was injured in the same incident.

These attacks coincide with Russia’s intensified push into Ukrainian-held areas.

Over the weekend, Moscow claimed its forces had taken control of the village of Maliyevka in Dnipropetrovsk, following their earlier capture of a nearby settlement.

Ukraine, however, disputes these assertions and maintains that its troops are holding ground.

International responses to the renewed violence have been swift.

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking during a visit to Scotland, issued a blunt warning to the Kremlin.

Trump said Russia has “10 or 12 days” to agree to a ceasefire or face severe new sanctions.

“There’s no reason to wait if you already know what the answer is,” he told reporters, indicating that an official announcement could come within a day.

Earlier this month, Trump had set a 50-day deadline for Russia to halt its aggression, but the ongoing barrage suggests Moscow is undeterred.

Meanwhile, the conflict has also spilled into Russian territory.

Russian officials reported that Ukrainian forces launched a series of drone attacks overnight targeting the southern Rostov region.

In the town of Salsk, one person was killed when a drone struck their car, and a freight train was set ablaze.

In Belgorod, a border region frequently under attack, another civilian was killed in their vehicle, and their spouse sustained injuries.

As both sides continue to escalate their military campaigns, civilian casualties are mounting, and diplomatic solutions seem increasingly distant.

The prison bombing, in particular, has drawn strong condemnation, with human rights observers warning of potential breaches of international law.

The situation remains fluid, with Ukrainian officials calling for stronger international intervention and further sanctions against Russia.

In the meantime, frontline regions like Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk remain under constant threat, bearing the brunt of a war with no clear end in sight.

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